1. Technical Field
This invention relates to a fuel suction system for supplying fuel from a fuel tank to an internal combustion engine used in an automotive vehicle.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, fuel in the fuel tank of automotive vehicles has been suctioned by a feed conduit installed in the tank, then transferred to the internal combustion engine. When the vehicle is driven around a curve or at an incline continuously or for a long time, fuel inclines to one side of the tank. It becomes unable to be suctioned by the feed conduit when the level of fuel in the fuel tank drops to a relatively low level. This causes engine malfunctions, stalling or discontinuous combustion.
U.S. Pat, No. 3,881,457 issued to Benner et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,885 issued to Hall describe a fuel tank including a reservoir container surrounding a feed conduit supported on the bottom of the tank. Fuel can be stored in the reservoir container even the level of fuel in the tank becomes relatively low. However, the feed conduit cannot suction fuel when it is inclined substantially to one side of the tank.
It has been proposed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Kokai No. 51-13423 to install a reservoir container having its vertical wall cut out on one side at the tank bottom. Fuel would flow into the container over the cut-out side of the wall. When the fuel surface inclines in the tank, stored fuel in the container below the cut out level does not flow out and is suctioned by the inlet conduit to the engine. However, because the fuel supply depends on the stored fuel in the container only, discontinuous combustion of the engine is caused sometimes. Thus, the automotive vehicle becomes undrivable, and the remainder of the fuel cannot be utilized efficiently.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fuel suction system for internal combustion engines used in automotive vehicles which can transfer the remainder of the fuel in the fuel tank to the engine efficiently even if the driven state of the vehicle is inclined to one side for a long time, the efficient functioning of the tank is maintained even when the level of fuel drops to a relatively low level.